This 24-year-old guy has everything that makes life easy and comfortable, and yet he believes in fixing broken things rather than discarding it.
When people see their old vehicle around and believe that it will make more financial sense to sell its parts than trying to repair it, this man creates something exceptionally beautiful out of it, thanks to his quirky skills.
In a candid conversation with Life Beyond Numbers, Parth Kotak talks about his dreams, ambitions and what impelled him to choose an unconventional path and create a motorcycle entirely out of scrap.
From Aurangabad to Adler Rider
Parth hails from Aurangabad’s Sahakar Nagar and was a commerce student before he discovered his love for the automobile industry. “I loved bikes and cars since I was in class 8. Even though I chose commerce stream, but I was hardly interested in pursuing a career in this field. We have a garage where I used to spend most of my time. That’s how the whole idea of creating something from scrap and junk came into being.”
To know more about the automobile industry and equip himself with the essential skills, Parth traveled to Mumbai and a year later in 2014, he decided to opt for an Automobile Technician course at Council of Education and Development Programmes (CEDP), which changed his life forever.
“I had a very raw idea about bike making and to make it out of junk, I was absolutely clueless. But the training provided at the institute helped me to hone my skills,” he says.
After a year of completing the course, Parth, with the help of a friend designed his dream machine Adler Rider– his 10-feet long custom made bike completely out of second-hand spare parts and junk.
On asking why he chose to give it a quirky name, Parth says, “Adler means Eagle in German. It is fierce and aggressive as well as calm and patient at the same time. Therefore, I decided to name my bike after this enigmatic creature.”
He spent all his pocket money to build this bike which cost him around 2 lakhs rupees. In the beginning, it was exclusively for showcasing purposes only, but he has made a few changes recently to make it fully functional.
Making Scrap Useful
Parth is a seasoned automobile technician now and has found his new love in the automobile industry but his life didn’t change overnight.
He helped his father in his business and devoted the rest of his time building his unique bike. “Bike making was challenging for me in the beginning and the space crunch made it more difficult. Thankfully, a friend came to my rescue and provided me with ample space and machinery to assemble it in his dad’s garage, where I used to work overnight.”
He continues, “I have worked night after night thinking about its design, capacity. It demanded time and patience, but I never thought of giving it up.”
“I have come across beautiful minds, but there is only one problem. Because of too many ideas, people often get confused and lose track. I insist that they calm themselves and figure out the pros and cons before they start working on their ideas. I also believe that choosing something that is good for the environment should be our first priority.”
Apart from this, Parth has also built a customized treadmill cycle for his mother, who has obesity-related issues. He says, “By using this machine, she can keep herself fit from the comfort of her home.”
It took Parth approximately 18 months to come up with his bike, which he created from scratch. “I want to represent India at a global level and keep creating cool stuff that will help people to live more sustainably,” he concludes with a smile.
We are sure that you all have abandoned the notion of something called fate. There are hard work and hard work only that changes the course of one’s life.
So, in case you are letting a tow truck leave with your vehicle, think twice!